Ting a Ling
by everytimeyoulookatme
Summary: A couple of weeks can change many things, people, and beliefs. After all, spring marks change and new beginnings. So when the old bell of Flourish and Blott’s rang for the umpteenth time, the story of Draco and Hermione began to unravel.
1. Ting a Ling

**Hello everyone. This is my first Harry Potter fanfiction so it's a new experience. This is a very short first chapter (even for me) but I don't know where this story is going yet. Suggestions are welcome and if I owned Harry Potter, I don't think I would be on fanfiction. Haha Enjoy!**

_Summary- A couple of weeks can change many things, people, and beliefs. After all, spring marks change and new beginnings. So when the old bell of Flourish and Blott's rang for the umpteenth time, the story of Draco and Hermione began to unravel._

The witches and wizards were just beginning to forget the fact that just five months prior to the New Year the Dark Lord had unleashed the most powerful attack of the Second Wizarding War. The Battle at Hogwarts took place in just outside the enchanting school. The face-off between Voldermort and Harry Potter was the talk of magical London for months after. The most important fact was that for five months England was in shambles. Families mourned the loss of loved ones and the Ministry was all but destroyed. But now it is May, the time for new beginnings and new starts. And this is the story of two particular people, who represented the epitome of trying to forget the past and living the future…

* * *

Entering Diagon Alley was like entering a new realm. Well technically it is. However, for the nineteen years Hermione Granger has entered Diagon Alley, she has always felt a new excitement that exhilarated her to the very end. _Ting a ling_ went the bells when she stepped into Flourish and Blott's. Hermione breathed in the instinct smell of dusty books ready to be purchased a read. She was in no hurry so Hermione spent hours skimming through the binds of the books looking for an interesting read.

* * *

_Ting a ling_. Hermione looked up surprised. She didn't expect people to enter a bookstore on a day like today. For once, London wasn't raining and under a dark cloud. Instead, the sun was shining brightly and many children were playing Quidditch outside. What she saw shocked her even more. Draco Malfoy entered the store; head held high, wearing his infamous black dress robes with the sleeves rode up. He walked, or rather swaggered, to the Potions sections of the store.

Draco Malfoy hadn't been seen after the end of the war. After Draco refused to kill Dumbledore, his whole family lived under the Order's protection after hours of convincing from Snape. Draco had help fight in the war for the light side. But after the last spell was said (by Harry Potter, of course), no one has spotted Draco. His parents were both shaken but after some time, Lucius had restored the Malfoy name and Malfoy Industries flourished. Rumors had said that Draco went to France to clear his head but spent most of his time picking up girls in local clubs and drinking vast amounts of Firewhiskey. Finally, rumor has it, Lucius had enough of his son's non-caring ways and forced him to come back home thus leading Draco to be sweating in Flourish and Blott's looking for a relaxing read.

Hermione hurriedly grabbed a random book off the shelf and followed Malfoy deeper in the store. Hermione was generally a curious being and Malfoy coming back to London, to Flourish and Blott's no less, was a mystery just waiting to be solved.

Draco weaved through _Potions and Other Healing Methods, Transfiguration: What You Need to Transfigure to Survive Being Stranded, and All Things Herbology _and stopped right in front of Muggle Studies. Hermione thought this was odd. _Wasn't this the same man that despised all things Muggle even after he switched sides? _He walked to the very back of the store and stopped right before the unsorted pile of books. Hermione pretended to be interested in Muggle electronics, one aisle behind him. Draco turned around.

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Here's an update. I'm not sure how often they will be. :( **_

"Granger, I can see you back there. I'm not totally inadequate." Draco smirked.

Hermione turned crimson. She didn't expect him to be that perspective. Merlin knows Harry and Ron would be oblivious to any of their surroundings, especially if they were playing Wizarding Chess.

"How are you, Malfoy?" said Hermione nervously tugging on the few tendrils that were hanging loose.

"Very well, thank you." Malfoy smirked. "Where's Weasely and Potter? The Golden Trio didn't break up did they?"

Malfoy started walking to the reading area of the bookstore and took a seat on one of the plush couches. Hermione rolled her eyes. _It is so like the Slytherin git to walk away before I'm done speaking to him! _She followed him and took the seat opposite him. Malfoy had already begun reading his book by then and seemed very engrossed in it as he held it up to block his face. Hermione took the time to survey him over her book. It seems that time has done Malfoy good. Gone was his scrawny appearance and scowl from Hogwarts. Instead, his body has filled out and an extensive Quidditch regime has packed muscles on him. His black dress shirt showed a great contrast between his pale almost angelic skin tone. Hermione scanned him from the bottom up. As she reached his face, she realized she had been staring. She blushed furiously and returned her attention to her book. To Hermione's dismay she picked up a rather poorly written book describing the muggle television so she concentrated her attention on an escape plan as it was rather getting awkward with her sitting there with Malfoy of all people.

She cleared her throat. No response.

Hermione coughed a few times. Not even a glance. Hermione huffed and was just about to stand up and leave when she heard him speak.

"Don't leave on my account. I hope I'm not a distraction but I wasn't the one shifting in her seat every few minutes and hacking her lungs out. I mean Granger, you do know you can get some water from the coffee shop down the street." Malfoy glanced up from his book. "In fact if you were leaving to go there now, I would be happy to accompany you there as I'm parched as well."

Hermione was shocked. Another part of her was rather pleased- Malfoy was named one of France's top bachelors (she kept his magazine cover in a box with some pretty harmful protection spells in case anyone decided to find it underneath her bed.

Malfoy sighed. Obviously she wasn't going to make this easy for him. At first, when he had stepped in Flourish and Blott's, he had just wanted to find some books for research for his…new job. A few days before he came back to Britain, he a received a rather demanding letter from his father:

_Draco,_

_ I am glad to hear that you are having fun in France. However, I had no intention that letting you take your "break" in another country would entail and a rather risqué magazine cover. I do not wish to see my son on a piece of rubbish acting like a man without any responsibilities. We are Malfoy's through and through and one day (whether I like it or not) you will be taking over the Malfoy empire and all it entails. I will not have you acting like a common slag and hiding from you duties in France. In better light, Malfoy Industries has been doing very well but we are in need of a few more charity organizers. I have a few people in mind but as your responsibility of the Malfoy heir, I request your presence at the first board meeting in five days. Enclosed is a portkey that will activate taking you to the manor. _

_Welcome back, son._

_Father_

He had arrive, dutifully, at the manor. After a stiff nod but a surprisingly warm smile from Lucius and a motherly hug from Narcissa, he had proceeded to sit in a conference that was to begin a new charitable opportunity. Draco was to be the head of this new branch of Malfoy industries and was to meet with some possible charities that Malfoy Industries would be associated with. And that landed him in the dusty old bookstore. He intended to search for some books to help him in his endeavor but saw Hogwarts acclaimed bookworm instead. Of course even all the way in France, he had heard about the great achievements of Hermione Granger. According to the Prophet, she spent two weeks repairing Hogwarts and single handedly discovered ancient wards that would increase its protections (people can never be too careful). She held a job at the Ministry working in the legislative branch, passing many laws which helped the creatures looked down upon in the wizarding world. She started two charities, one for orphaned children from the war and the other expanded her SPEW concept from school to other creatures as well.

And all he had done was a few shags with some random bimbos and landed on the front cover of the most infamous magazine in all of Europe, _Delicious, _famous for its provocative photos and its yearly "Most Eligible Bachelor" list.

Well Draco guessed it was just his luck to run into Hermione when he did. If he could recruit her for his cause it would greatly put him in the good graces of his father and get a jump start on his new…job.

"Come on Granger. I won't bite and I just want to catch up." Draco smiled. "You know old acquaintances and all." He couldn't help smirking at that.

"I accept your invitation on the benefit of doubt as you very well know that we were never anything close to 'acquaintances,' as you put it, back at school.

Draco chuckled and followed her to the front of the store. He opened the door as a proper gentleman should and gave her a pointed look.

"Thank you, Malfoy. How would I have managed to open the door without your gracious help?" Hermione said sarcastically. She stepped out before him and turned to ask him where he was planning on going when she slipped from the top step of the steps coming down from the exit of Flourish and Blott's. She fell and slide the rest of the way down. Behind her, she heard laughter. _The git had the nerve to laugh at her! Why I should tell him that she was not pleased at being humiliated in front of the entire-_

A hand made an appearance from her left. She looked up and saw a smiling Draco.

"So clumsy Granger." He helped her up. "What would you ever do without me?"

Hermione glared at him while Draco left and started walking to the coffee shop a half a block down. She huffed and followed.

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